Born and raised in Germany’s small town of Gera, Dana Ruh soon found her way to the capital city of Berlin, where she found herself into the beat and sound of its vibrating music scene and started her steadily rising career as a DJ in 2005.
Since then she experimented with Electronica, House and Techno to find her own incomparable sound. However, it was not only her DJing which got her into bigger venues more and more but also her musical output as a producer that led her to regular releases on labels like Einmaleins Musik and Ripperton‘s Perspectiv Records. She also contributed remixes to the Swiss label Mina Records, the Danish Connect Four and the American imprint Clink Records. This brought Dana wider attention in the European and overseas Techno market and strengthened her name as a German artist, a fact which could not be disregarded from that point on.
In 2007 Dana founded the Brouqade imprint, together with a friend. The two ladies intended to devote their long-time experience within the field of DJing, producing tracks and the urban nightlife completely to the release of electronic music in the sound spectrum of Techno and House. Brouqade Records also features videos of their artists’ tracks, which have been well recognised on respective video platforms.
Her own musical development ushered her to new collaborations with well-known DJs. In 2010, she produced some tracks together with Cocoon‘s André Galluzzi for Ostgut Ton. The EP “Mauersegler” cracked dancefloors worldwide and tracks from that EP can be found on various compilations. Starting from this work, the two artists created their own record label Aras in early 2011 in order to create a platform for their productive liaison and to support new talents.
However, Dana still explores musical possibilities in her studio with her machines, in order to continue her solo work. While evolving new sounds and tracks, Dana Ruh hit some spectacular signings with Ben Watt‘s Buzzin’ Fly and put a track on a Various Artists compilation on Crosstown Rebels.
Her collaboration with Anthea shows they have defied the merciless winter in their studio, with their new track, “Like A River”. Clean beats, bathing synths and vocals with telepathic powers drive the track onward, before it unexpectedly changes direction. The river swells until the bank bursts, at which point a torrent of relentless groove emits from the speakers.
A Master of all things dub, Van Bonn plunges the record to new depths, as he breaks his remix down to the bare bones as voices alternate with filtered chords. That he does so without delay and a sledgehammer approach is all the more impressive, as he really does prove here that sometimes less can indeed, mean more. A hypnotic track made for the trippy hours.
Nina Soul‘s remix then grasps the groove of the original and expands on it, sealing the deal with some wonderfully atmospheric flourishes. Like smooth waves, the sound whispers in your ear, wrapping up Brouqade’s latest record with some distinction.
Release Date: 10 April 2013
Dana Ruh | Anthea | Brouqade Records |
Following in the foot-steps of techno luminaries such as Alan Fitzpatrick, Ben Sims and Drumcode boss Adam Beyer, Nicole Moudaber is set to release her debut long player on one of electronic music’s most revered labels. Scheduled for release on 06 May the confidently titled “Believe” sees Nicole at the top of her game, and is set to reaffirm her status as the ‘Queen of the Underground’.
In the same vein as her recently launched Mood imprint, “Believe” is suited to a number of atmospheres and settings. Across the nine original productions which comprise the album, Nicole has crafted a sonically diverse long-player of sounds which draw on the plethora of styles electronic music has to offer. From her accustomed techno to twisted house and everything in-between, the stylistic variety on offer means “Believe” will easily feature in more intimate settings and big-room venues alike.
The album comprises a host of tracks aimed squarely at the clubs. From the moody “Movin On”, the bass-heavy “Do Your Thing”, to the industrial techno grooves on “Come And Lay” which features a distorted vocal from Nicole, to the hypnotic chanting vocal on “Get On It”, techno-aficionados will not be disappointed with what is a sublime set of cuts that will no doubt destroy any dance-floor.
In contrast however, there are more intimate moments to be found. For example the rhythmically entrancing yet uplifting “Fly With You”, which has a very important significance for Nicole, to “Liberum Spirita” with its mazy ethereal breakdown, and the synth-heavy percussive builder “Lumière Tamisée”. Nicole further flexes her production muscle with the stripped back dub-flavours of “Big Love With No Apology”, and a robotic groove-laden funk on the standout “Can I Get Some”.
“Believe” delivers a consummate body of work with which Nicole’s considerable abilities in the studio are clear for all to hear. A wide-range of sounds that is sure to appeal to the idiosyncratic tastes of the various sub-sections of electronic music community. Furthermore, it lives up to the high-standards of previous Drumcode long-players and is an engrossing and impressive debut; and one which offers a smooth segue into the next chapter of an already exciting career.
2013 is really kicking off nicely for Nicole and in light her her debut album, we caught a few words with Nicole regarding her album.
Some people say that 13 is unlucky, yet many cultures embraces it as lucky. 2013 seems to be setting off in the right way for you with the release of your album and launch of your very own Mood imprint. Are you someone who embraces 13 and has it been your intention for these things to all come together in 2013?
I am very much into numbers and I always have been since my early scientific and math years. In fact, out of habit I tend to always calculate numbers, whenever I’m subjected to them.
I particularly like 1, 3, 8 & 9. 1 for me is the beginning & light, 3 is indivisible, 8 is infinity, and with 9 it’s divisors are 1 & 3 and it’s also in my birth date on the 19. 1+9 = 10, which is 1 if you add 1+0. 2013 is a strong year for me if I go about the numbers, 2+0+1+3 = 6, divide 6 in 2 = 3, 3 is indivisible and 1 is the beginning. In response to 13 – I think it’s a great number and it was my intention, probably unconsciously.
Drumcode is an extremely renowned label, yet for someone of your statue, was there the difficult decision of deciding whether to release your album on Drumcode or on your own imprint?
Adam approached me to do the album before my label was set up. I’m very excited about “Believe”. I had the freedom to express my feelings and the music I love so releasing it on Drumcode is amazing.
Some people create an album to demonstrate are more eclectic side to their production skills and tastes. Others seem to just focus on the dance-floor. “Believe” clearly opens with a focus on the dance-floor, but offers some well welcomed variations. What do you feel should be the reason for an album and what has been your reason for “Believe”?
Each album has to have the artist’s personality. I thought of going against what I’m known for and do a more home-listening kind of album, but I decided it wouldn’t be wise to do so in the end.
I think it’s easier for an established artist to get away with it, not to say that it’s not on my to do list because I love ambient and experimental music.
I wanted to have a strong list of club tracks which were playable at anytime, whether it’s an early set or after hours, ranging in style from techno and everything in-between. I play different tracks depending on my set time, whether it’s a 300 capacity club or 30,000 festival venue. Everything on “Believe” was produced with love and so much care [she smiles].
Are there any tracks from your album that you found particularly challenging for any reason?
Certainly, but more emotional than challenging. For example, “Fly With You” had all of me when it was in the making. I was in love with someone and it means a lot to me when the chords drop in that track – I fly everytime. It’s a sound I haven’t dabbled with before but it turns out I have a knack for chords and it has opened a lot of creativity in me and inspiration. I guess ‘love’ tingles.
Three of our favourite tracks are “Do Your Thing”, “Get On It” and “Can I Get Some” (because of the actual music, not necessarily the titles). Is there any particular reason for the choice of these titles or are we just reading a little too much into it?
You are reading into it correctly. They all mean something, I always give titles to my tracks which express my state of mind at that specific period in time.
If there is one person in the world, famous or not, at the moment that you would love to appeal to with this album who would it be?
There isn’t one specific person. I want the world.
Release Date: 06 May 2013
With the appreciation of all musical styles Santiago Perez has apparently always found it difficult to lay down roots into one genre. However, it seems that as of late, he has rediscovered his musical foundations and is focusing on the deeper, grooved up Tech House with touches of the UK Garage revival.
His latest release, “Four” coming on the Kinetic Groove imprint, is one that definitely demonstrates that deeper grooved up Tech House sound that Santiago seems to be striving towards. And Kinetic seems to be the right home for it. Label boss Stefan Cordery explained how the release came about; “I got introduced to Santiago through a friend, who told me to check out his tracks on Soundcloud. As soon as we heard Four we knew it had potential, so we met up for a beer and the rest is history”.
For anyone who is unfortunate enough not to know of the Kinetic Groove imprint, it’s a label that focuses on releasing all styles of house music and everything in between. Started in 2007, the label now represents a selection of artists from around the world and has received support from a number of top DJ’s and publications. The label successfully ran a podcast series which spanned 2 years and showcased some high profile artists such as Florian Meindl and System of Survival, as well as hosting a number of successful parties in the UK and Germany.
Stefan spoke with us about the early days of the label; “I started the label back in 2007 as somewhere for me and my friends to release our music. It was good fun but nothing serious. Back then we were releasing Electro, Breaks and all sorts! The label then became dormant in terms of releasing music but I kept things going by starting a monthly podcast. I was DJing a lot at the time and was networking with lots of artists, so I had no shortage of mixes to put out. Skip forward to 2012, the completion of a music production course led to me deciding to start things up again. I’d also received some great demos so went about remixing them and started to build a release schedule”.
Kinetic Groove has been receiving so great support from international DJs, something that Stefan seems to work very hard a careful to achieve. “A lot of it is down to networking and promotion. We talk to DJs at parties and we connect with other artists online. We also work with a PR company to reach out that bit further. Standing out is difficult in the music scene so when we do communicate with these people, we do it nicely! It might sound funny but it goes without saying that if you’re going to chat to a DJ at a party, do it when they are at the bar, not behind the decks”, he explains. “As for the support we’ve been getting, it’s so encouraging. It makes it all worthwhile”.
Santiago’s release, “Four” brings a deeply driven rhythmic groove to our hears with a bass that seems to bounce and wobble with slight modulations in the sound. It’s Deep Tech-House number that is full of energy and movement far from over exaggerated, it provides the perfect setting to give the dance-floor a good foot to launch from, warming up any set. Santiago breaks it all down to the point of literal standstill, with only the long continuous ring of a tone only changing notes a few times, layered with the occasional ‘four’ vocal.
Stefan Cordery‘s remix keeps the deep essence of the track by toning down the pace by a few notches, although retaining a small element of the swinging groove through classic Tech-House style hat. Stefan’s focus clearly seems to be on the background undertones of the track and not the upfront offerings of the original. “The great thing about running a label is that you get to remix the tracks you love and, hopefully, make a remix that takes the release to the next level”, comments Stefan.
The Paradigm Shift mix takes a turn in a direction completely unexpected. This remix comes in the form of Drum & Bass and definitely offers something different to the release, offering some if those interesting dirty Drum & Bass elements in a way that would be hard not to move to. “The decision to have a Drum & Bass remix was taken after me and my wife, who co-runs the label with me, met Jamie aka Paradigm Shift at a party. He played us his productions and we loved them”, Stefan explains. “At the end of the day we don’t want to be all about the one genre. We want to be about music that makes people dance”.
Keep a close eye on Santiago and Kinetic Groove, because as Stefan puts it, “…if we find amazing music, we’ll tell the world about it and release it. A vinyl release, a club night and world domination are also on the list!”.
Release Date: 25 April 2013
Monika Kruse has a powerful reputation throughout Europe as the first lady of techno. Every one of her productions over the past two years is a beautifully worked fusion of melody with a jazzy rhythmic structure. She is perhaps best known for making her buildups the focus of her tracks and a talent for clean tribal sets when she plays live.
Her latest releases are coming in the form of tried and tested remixes by equally big players in the house scene. Those who have seen her live over the past few months may have been lucky enough to hear them first hand and now she is releasing them back into the wild.
Part 1 see’s Ramon Tapia produce two wildly different version of “Namaste” and Nicky Curly bring his own take on “One Love”, using the vocal stylings of Robert Owens, who many may know from Oliver Huntemann‘s “The End”. It also sees two special digital releases for those who purchase it on Beatport; the Beatport competition winner mix of “Namaste” by 8Colours and a Dub version of Nick Curly’s mix for those who like their bass loud.
Ramon Tapia has had a solid career so far throughout Europe, releasing on plenty of prestigious labels including Great Stuff Recordings and even co-owning the label Aella Music, producing remixes for the likes of Paul Weller, Armand van Helden, Nic Fanciulli, Marc Romboy, Mauro Picotto, DJ Sneak and Umek.
He provides the first track of this remix album, which is a dancefloor focused mix with strong symbols and some heavy percussive bounces. There is heavy focus on energy and raw bass, which perhaps means it loses some of the original melody overall but regains composure with a beautiful breakdown. Out of the remixes, perhaps this is the hardest to place because of it straight forward dark vibe but it’s a powerful track that will still get lots of playtime this summer.
Ramon’s Patched Remix stays far more true to the melodic nature of the original, adding a rolling jazzy bassline to some well worked synth and feels like a far more organic creation. This remix is versatile in the sense that it could be turned to lots of different uses depending on the situation; it could work with a long play as a deep progressive set, part of a bigger breakdown, tweaking the vocals and synth work to fit with a harder drop or can work alone as an jazzy bass rolling number. This remix works well within the confines of the mix and fills the remit far better than the Tuff Tuff Remix, finding a powerful rhythm within the original without scratching out anything new.
Fellow German, Nick Curly takes the next remix on, a well-known name in Europe and a sure thing when it comes to producing something a little bit different. 2011 saw his real explosion on the scene when his “Sun City” EP saw him take the no. 1 selling 12″ on Cocoon Records. Since then he has released his first LP, “Between The Lines”, made some big waves at Space out in Ibiza, appearing at Richie Hawtin‘s famed night Enter as well as holding down his residency at Kehakuma.
The remix itself is a laid back and melodic track, using only one real beat the entire track. The vocals, a gift from Mr Robert Owens, are utilised effectively by Curly in pulling the track along and providing the tip of the mystical feel, sitting well in the style that Nick Curly chooses. This is very much a no thrills, no nonsense remix, providing nothing more that a steady flowing casual vibe that just seems to chuck along, but what’s magical about this is how the bass sits in the track nicely with no exaggeration, yet seems to leaving you asking for things to be taken to the next level. The remix will come alive in a life of its own during any afterhours sets.
All in all a good part one remix pack and hopefully just a taster for what yet to come in this set of remixes. In setting such a high standard with her music lots of people have come to expect only the best, let us hope they can bring more to get crowds jumping up this summer.
Release Date: 15 April 2013
Daze Maxim’s release comes on the back of acclaimed EP’s from label founders Shonky and Dan Ghenacia, together with a celebrated re-press of DJ Gregory‘s Point G classic “Underwater”.
Highly regarded by those in the know, yet still largely unheralded thanks to his preference to stay out of the media limelight, Daze Maxim has carved a reputation among his contemporaries of being a deep thinking musician as much concerned with composition theory and true musical meaning, as rocking a dancefloor. There was no better example of this than “Intimacy Girl”, the track he created under the Heartz4 moniker that became a favourite tune in 2008 for countless DJs and synonymous with the house sound of the Cocoon Terrace in Ibiza.
For his debut EP on Apollonia, Daze has created a hypnotic house gem driven by deep meaty bass and intricate multi-layered synth notes that pays dues to his masterful reputation when it comes to composition.
Heavier on the drums than Daze’s original, Dyed Soundorom delivers a stripped back, tech-friendly re-rub that reinforces his lofty reputation for balancing deep, evocative grooves with hiplashing rhythms to create a cut guaranteed to shake the floor.
Rounding out the package is “Tableara”, a cut that sees Daze go down a more contemplative minimal route, incorporating shaking percussion, sparse beats and a subtle moody synth line to create a brooding atmosphere that would put it right at home in a grungy warehouse environment.
Vinyl Release: 17 March 2013
Digital Release: 02 April 2013
Words: Mike Taylor
iDiOSYNC boss Josh Butler is a fast rising artist in the UK, pioneering a sound similar to that of friends and colleagues Hector Couto and Darius Syrossian. Having taken Leeds and the north by storm their eyes are now set on the rest of the country. Their sound is infectious and energetic, typical of weighty, full-bodied bass leads, exquisitely processed vocals and playful breakdowns.
You are part of the new breed of talent that is storming the UK at the moment, how does playing in hometown Leeds compare to the rest of the country?
Well as lots of people probably know Leeds is a crazy city and the music scene is unbelievable. It’s always a pleasure to play local gigs, everyone’s always up for a hell of a party and very clued up on their music! For anyone interested my next gig in Leeds will be the 02 May at Teknicolour, Mint Club with Darius Syrossian and Hector Couto.
How was your experience working alongside like-minded greats such as Darius and Hector?
What can I say, these guys are heroes and I’m so glad to have worked with them already. When producing “Bass Play” with Darius I sent him the groove and bassline of the track and he came back with that unforgettable quirky breakdown and his killer trademark vocals. Hopefully there will be more collaborations coming with us all soon.
Josh has already stamped his mark in 2013 with the resounding success of “Got A Feeling” on MTA records in January. Having also released on notable labels such as Pura and OFF Recordings, today we bring you his forthcoming two track EP “Can See You” on Definition Music. It is an EP that has only come to part by chance, with no intention of ever being released.
When you uploaded these tracks you said you never planned to release them, why? How long have you been sitting on these gems for?
I made “Can See You” about 8 months ago or something, no plans for release, it was purely for fun and playing around with ideas. Then Darius started to play it out in his sets and when he dropped it at Watergate the label owner of Definition Music heard it and loved it. I then went on to make “For Who You Are” to complete the EP.
The title track “Can See You” is a peak time bomb and although not overly complex in its production it’s a stand out track that is going to have people rushing to the DJ booth. At the heart of it is a seismic, throbbing kick drum fused amongst a relentless bass line providing real movement. Together, the combination of sounds causes you to feel its energy and is the result of masterful precision on its ADSR envelope. As the track develops we are gifted with a striking selection of industrial fills and tampered vocal stabs, until the breakdown, where dampened chords calm the mood before the track brutally cuts back in. This is a track sure to provoke an amazing response in a clubbing environment and will challenge even the most stubborn of dancers to get moving.
“For Who You Are” follows the same aesthetic as “Can See You” but with a deeper twist. The kick drum and scaling bass line being equally as prominent but with more warmth. Through the middle echoes a blanketed vocal that rides throughout the mix, again adding to its deeper qualities. A perfect warm up track prior to those peak time stompers such as “Can See You”.
Both tracks have an ascetically similar soundscape, was this the intention? Were they just sounds you enjoyed using at that moment in time?
Yer it was intentional to keep the styles similar as it is with all my productions. But I still made sure there was a distinct A side and B side. “Who You Are” is a deeper, more warm up vibes track where as “Can See You” is a heavy peak timer.
Josh Butler is a name to keep your eye on. He is certainly on my watch list and with such a great start to the year already I will be eagerly awaiting all his releases, keen to see what other creative wonders he has concocted in his musical lab.
What can we expect for summer from you this year? What festivals are in the pipeline? Any trips to Ibiza?
Summer is already shaping up nicely. For festivals I’ll be playing at The Secret Garden Party, Park Life and possibly Gottswood. No plans for Ibiza just yet but will see how things go over the next couple of months. I will also be heading to Morocco with the night I’m resident for LDMS and much more UK touring.
Release Date: 25 March 2013
Definition Music | Josh Butler |
Words: Hector Westropp
Here at Guerilla Sounds we started out with one clear mission: to actively seek out the very best in underground talent, especially focusing on pioneers; people which bring something new to the underground house scene. What that means is that we always have our ears to the ground, talking to DJs around the world about who they are listening to right now and pretty much no matter who you speak to in Europe, one name keeps cropping up: Sidney Charles.
Finding a place within sets of huge names like , Cari Lekebusch, Davide Squillace, Ramon Tapia, Pleasurekraft, Kaiserdisco, Nice7, Hollen, Bart Skils, Adana Twins and Tim Xavier it was obvious that we had to learn more, so we decided to get hold of his latest EP, “The Quest”, releasing on Martin Eyerer and Rainer Weichhold‘s prestigious Berlin label, Kling Klong, so we could see what all the fuss is about.
To give you a little bit of background; Sidney was born in Hamburg and got into DJing with breaks and hip-hop at an early age as an aspiring turn-tablist, but as the late ninety’s rolled around he found his way into the world of house and hasn’t looked back. Since becoming a professional DJ he lived for a year in Spain and has toured around Europe with some big names, this shows in his music: the most prominent feature of his production is the experience and understanding; the seemingly effortless fusing of musics from vastly different cultures in a way which reinvents rather than re-hashing or re-branding. While his style is well defined it is rather hard to outline and stereotype with such strong themes which make up the core of each track, though he does tend to lean on more of a tribal sound.
The EP itself has three original tracks and two remixes, one from revered Dutch producer ONNO, who has released on Get Physical and Moon Harbour, and the other a collaboration between Danito and Agent!, possibly two of the biggest German DJs out there with releases between them reaching Desolat, Cocoon and Moon Harbour. Even before listening to this EP I was excited…
The main elements of “The Quest” are a cutback bassline and high pitch ticks which would be at home on a Steve Bug album, but from there the work is massively complex in terms of production; filled with tiny nuances like crackles, filters which overlay some deep and dirty vocal work, cowbells, off time scats, wind up toys, dark echoey synth, some scratch work and off-tune whistles as well a host of other sounds arranged to form one complete entity. To try and sum it up would be to simply say that it a result of some serious time in the studio. It reminds me in a way of a lego house; disparate in element but whole in form. It’s definitely worthy of some playtime for anyone looking to inject a bit of stylish darkness to their set.
“Fameless” is a far more full and pumpy affair, drawing more on the vocals for a catchy hook linked with a bouncy bassline. The symbols, chimes and drumwork are sublime as is the placement of the chords but the real note is reserved for the buildups and drops which are as close to perfection as you can get without actually being a robot. All in all a huge track which shows some real understanding of house music and the concepts which make a tune great, I would recommend this track without caution or hesitation and expect it to see it’s way onto many more playlists in the near future. As a side note this track is a great example of musical blending; a full American flavour with some clean German shakeups.
Onno’s ‘Shameless Drums Remix’ of “Fameless”, like the name suggests, plays heavily on tribal drums to create a more bouncy feel than the original, with strong echoes over the vocals to make them less prominent. The synth work is again overlayed and filtered to give it more of an undercurrent feel, letting the drums do practically all the work. The breakdown is intelligent and the layering also strong but it loses a lot of pace as the track goes on. While the remix definitely adds a new spin rather than just cutting up bits, it doesn’t have much to draw on in other areas to make it really stand out other than it being a low riding consistent tribal piece.
A tribal track at its core, “Malindi” hits some sexy four-to-the-floor rhythms with nice touches like rainsticks and shakes laced throughout which make it feel authentic and smooth. The hook itself is a blend of tweets, taps and a single chord which sits within the layers perfectly. The vocal is massively addictive, a really raw Spanish call which has to be heard to understand just how effective it is. Once again the buildups in this track are beautifully constructed but unlike “Fameless” the drops are far more smooth and relaxed in keeping with the tribal theme. Like the other original tracks, it just screams production value and time well spent in creating a piece of art rather than just another fist pumping track for the masses.
Playing on a far more commercial stance and leaning on a heavy rolling bassline, Agent! & Danito’s Remix of “Malindi” finds a nice rhythm quickly. The first thing to note is the sounds of the rainforest which lie under the entire track, a really nice touch which adds a new dimension and fills in all the cracks to make it feel full. The remix uses the hook and vocals to great effect, separating the top end and bassy undertones nicely without breaking the track up too much. The blending of the layers is noticeably clean and the rolling element to the bassline ties the track up nicely, the time spent in making the sound crisp and energetic is obvious and the production is extremely clever, if a little hard to define over the various sounds at times.
In short: this EP shows that Sidney is without doubt definitely worth all of the talk; the quality of production and the fusion of styles is superb. For me the originals standout of the crowd, the intelligence in the breakdowns and the use of vocals in all three offer something unique and different. I fully expect to hear far more from Sidney over the coming years and look forward to it with great anticipation.
Release Date: 01 March 2013
Words: Stephen Reynolds
Droog, consisting of Culprit label bosses Andrei Osyka, Brett Griffin and Justin Sloe, have once again come together with UK producer Chris Sylvester aka Inxec, to produce an intricate star bound storyline EP to become lost in.
We begin with “Wide Open”, a calm but quick paced, progressive building track introducing a perfect head nodding underlying rhythm. Continuing to build throughout, the track is beautifully atmospheric drawing upon futuristic synths and echoing vocals to see us through a crescendo into the original minimal groove, effortless.
“Mountain Drop” takes a very similar approach in structure, progressively climbing but from an adversely darker perspective. From a dubby, percussion base the listener is forever introduced to these new and ranging futuristic samples, which are somewhat unnecessary in parts, but still adding to the obvious overall atmospheric principle of the track.
With clear input from Last Night on Earth’s immensely experienced leader Sasha, I for one am looking forward to further releases this year.
Release Date: 25 February 2013
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